This study focuses on the Co-operative Banking model and the Grameen Bank model. It attempts to highlight their histories, institutional arrangements, the design of their saving and loan delivery systems and most importantly their strengths and weaknesses. Emerging out of this are a set of five general policy recommendations. In summary these recommendations are:

The establishment of a Savings and Credit Co-operative for Midrand with specific institutional arrangements;

The conceptual design of a savings and loan delivery system that is membership driven and underpinned by the achievement of financial sufficiency;

Assessing the feasibility of using “smart card” technology;

A public and community partnership to solidify commitment to this initiative; and

A capacitation team that oversees a well defined capacitation process.